Escape Artist
by Slizzy
Summary: She tried to escape, but escape was impossible from the Saviors. What will happen to Victoria when she is dragged back to the Sanctuary, will she survive her punishment? Will she become everything Negan wants her to be?
1. Chapter 1

I was bloody and bruised, every breath ached and every step shot pain up through my leg. However, I continued, even through the pain, trying to put as much distance between myself and _them_. Them. I quickly pushed them to the back of my mind with a shake of my head and pushed myself to run faster. My heart thundered in my chest as I glanced over my shoulder, and I tripped. I tumbled down a hill and came to a stop with a groan. I forced myself up to my hands and knees and heard yells above me. "Fuck." I groaned as my leg throbbed more than ever as I pushed myself to my feet, grabbing my knife off the ground only to duck as a bullet whizzed over my head.

"Stop! We've got you Vickie, it's time to stop running." I looked up to see Simon smirking down at me from the top of the hill while Saviors came down toward me. I ignored the warning and continued to run away from them. I knew they were getting closer, and I knew I couldn't outrun them, but I had to try. I ran into a clearing and stopped short, about a dozen walkers mingled in the clearing and I had now drawn all of their attention.

I whirled around, but the Saviors were nearly on me, only a few yards away now. I could try to fight my way through the walkers and possibly die, or be dragged back to the Sanctuary by the Saviors. I clutched the knife in my hand, then turned to the walkers. One was nearly upon me and I swung up with my knife, swiftly stabbing it in the brain.

I jerked the knife out as another dead reached out toward me and I pushed it back, causing it to fall back on another while I killed one of my left. I was slowly moving into the clearing, leaving a trail of four dead walkers behind me. I killed two more, only six remaining in the clearing. I readjusted my grip on the knife, taking them on two by two. I thought I was in the clear, but then I felt a rotting hand clamp onto my foot. My balance was thrown off and I fell. I clenched my teeth as I struggled to get away from the dead as it snapped at my foot. But finally I sat up and drove the knife into its head. I quickly scrambled to my feet, but now I was surrounded by Saviors, and I knew I couldn't fight my way out of this one.

"It's over, Vickie." Simon said, stepping forward. I chewed the inside of my cheek as I slowly raised my hands and dropped my knife. My eyes kept darting around, searching for a way out, but there was no escape.

A Savior grabbed me and tied my hands behind my back before half dragging me to Simon.

"Nice to see you again sweetheart." Simon said, taking my forearm roughly once I reached him. "Negan is gonna love smashing your face in."

"Fuck. Off." I spat at him, even though I was scared of the punishment to come, and he knew it. Simon laughed as he tugged me towards the trucks that were waiting to take me back to the hell that was the Sanctuary.

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 **So this is my first time ever sharing fanfic, so I hope you all like it! This is just kinda a little teaser, but trust me, there's more to come! Negan will be making an appearance in the next chapter. So stick around, light a candle, brew some tea, and buckle in for a wild ride. :)**


	2. Chapter 2

I secretly relished the ride back to the Sanctuary. My attempt at escape had exhausted me, and I took this as an opportunity to rest in preparation for whatever punishment was to come next. I curled into a ball in the back of the truck, closing my eyes and trying to ignore the motion of the truck jostling me from side to side and the bumps in the road bouncing me up and down.

All too soon, we arrived back at the Sanctuary.

The truck came to a stop and I shielded my eyes as light flooded in when the door was opened and Simon's rough hands dragged me out of the truck. I scrambled to my feet, groaning as I put weight on my shot leg. Simon half-dragged me into what was once a factory and was now called the "Sanctuary." Sanctuary my ass. I was dragged down hall after hall after hall until Simon finally pushed a door open and shoved me inside, down on my knees. I cringed as pain shot up my leg. I stared up at the figure that he up from behind the desk in the room.

Negan. The leader of the Saviors. The "protector." The asshole. And he was a deadly asshole at that. He wore his usual garb of black boots, dark pants, a white t-shirt covered by a jacket, but today he was missing his red scarf that usually hung around his neck that I so badly wanted to choke him with. But as usual, that fucking bat was perched on his shoulder. Lucile. What kind of fucked up piece of shit names his weapon? Sure, name cars and guitars, but weapons? That's just sick. Everything about him exuded dominance, power, and control. It was infuriating.

"Well, well, well, the bitch returns!" He exclaimed, standing in front of me now and jerking me from my thoughts of absolute contempt. "Do you know how much of a pain in my ass you've been sweetheart?" He asked and I remained silent, simply glaring up at him in defiance. "Simon! Refresh this girl's memory." Negan barked.

"Hm, well, first her group didn't pay up." I involuntarily flinched at the mention of my group. They were all dead now, all except for me, all at the hands of Negan and Lucile. "So we took her back here. Then she refused to kneel, then she missed a mandatory meeting," Simon was ticking the things off on his fingers. "Then she stole a knife, then she attacked a savior, then she broke out and escaped."

"Right you are!" Negan said, staring down at me, "Each of those alone is so _not_ cool, but all of them together, you have been one fuckin' naughty girl." He said with a deadly smirk.

"Then kill me." I told him, causing him to laugh. "Just get it over with if I'm such an inconvenience." Why wasn't I dead yet? Why wouldn't get just get it over with already. At this point, I wouldn't mind death. It seemed like anything was better than this life I was living now.

"Oh, sweetheart! That would be just too easy! No, I'm not gonna kill you." He squatted down in front of me, his face inches away from mine and his voice got dangerously low, "No, I am going to break you _down_." He emphasized every word, his voice like gravel. His face was intense, hard, and made me shake in fear. But then, a grin split his face, showing those dangerously straight white teeth and he stood up. "Call a meeting. Right now." He ordered Simon, running a hand down his salt and pepper beard. Simon made a call on his radio then his hands grabbed me again and dragged me back down the halls again.

I found myself on my knees in a large, concrete room, a furnace roaring behind me, the heat making me sweat. Everyone else from the Sanctuary stood surrounding me, waiting for Negan to arrive. I wasn't sure what punishment Negan was going to dish out, but I knew it wasn't going to be pleasant. He wasn't going to bash my brains in, he had made that clear enough. Perhaps he would take the iron to my face, as I had seen happen once before, but usually the recipient was bound to a chair. This was unchartered territory, and I was scared.

A whistle filled the air, the haunting tune sent shivers down my spine, and everyone swiftly fell to their knees, except for the wives. I looked up defiantly at Negan as he entered the clearing of people, Lucile resting on his shoulder. If I didn't know better, I'd say the inanimate object looked ready for some action. He gave me a once over as he stopped whistling, then turned to face everyone else.

"On your feet." He ordered and everyone rose. "You all know the rules. The rules here are fucking simple and they all come back down to one fucking thing: Respect. If you do not respect the system, if you do not respect the saviors, if you do not fucking respect me, there will be consequences. I don't fucking like having to punish people, but rules are rules!" Negan's voice had risen at this point, and as much as I tried not to show fear, my entire body was shaking in betrayal.

Negan turned back to face me, and he leaned down. "Normally, I'd take the iron to you, but I'd hate to mess up your pretty little face." He whispered, as if confiding in me. "Lay your ass down." He ordered, stepping back and urging me to comply by kicking my shoulder. I landed, my back against the cold concrete below me. I stared up at Negan, absolutely terrified now. My chest rose and fell in rapid succession.

One of Negan's men held down my right shoulder and Negan's booted foot was firmly planted on my left bicep, forcing me to extend my arm out across the floor. I watched in horror as Negan raised the bat over his head and brought it crashing down on my hand. A scream tore through me as I tried to jerk away, but I couldn't. The bat kept coming down on my hand until all that was left was a pile of mush and flesh on the floor. Finally, Negan stepped back and the hands left my shoulder. I curled into a ball, cradling my stump of an arm, tears of pain streaming down my face.

"Dismissed! Clean up this shit!" Negan yelled. "Clean up her arm, but no pain killers." He added, then I felt gentle hands on my shoulder and I looked up to find myself face to face with the doctor.

I stumbled to my feet, still cradling my arm, which felt like it was on fire, and Simon grabbed my bicep and led me behind the doctor. When we made it to the clinic, I collapsed on the table. "Fuck," I drew out the word in a groan, my jaw clenched in pain.

"Hold her down." I heard the doctor's voice order, as if from far away. I danced the line of consciousness, until the pain and darkness finally overwhelmed me.

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 **Wow guys, chapter 2! Thank you all so much for the love so far! What do you think? I feel like this chapter was a little rushed, idk. What do you think is gonna happen to Victoria next? What do you think of Negan? Share your thoughts, leave a review! I love reading** **constructive criticism and I'd love to know what you all think so far! :)**


	3. Chapter 3

When I woke up there was a sandwich and a pill laying on the floor. I crawled over and picked up the sandwich, then tossed it down when I caught the smell of it, dog food. Just the smell alone was almost enough to make me vomit. But I took the pill, even though I knew I needed to have it with food, and crawled back away from the sandwich.

I was exhausted. Weak. I closed my eyes and leaned my head against the wall, trying to preserve my energy. Even though I was exhausted and weak, I still had my dignity and pride. And I refused to eat dog food. I was worth more than that. I deserved more than that. Just because I had lost my arm didn't mean I had lost my will to fight.

Sure, it would have been easier if I had never resisted Negan. Then, perhaps, I would still have my arm, and I would still be with my community. Perhaps I never would have gone to the Sanctuary. Perhaps everyone I had cared about would still be alive. Perhaps Jon would still be alive.

I quickly pushed him from my mind. It didn't do any good to think of him now. To cry for him now. He was gone, and there was nothing I could do about it. No amount of thoughts or tears for him could ever bring him back. But even now, I could still see his face.

I had been his fiancé. He had been the love of my life. He, and everyone else in the community trusted me to protect them, and I had failed. No amount of time passed could possibly erase that guilt and shame that I felt. I would bare that burden until the day I died, or until the day I turned into one of the walking dead.

I think I had been in the cell for five days when I was hungry enough to pick at the sandwich and managed to down some of it. I jumped when the door unlocked and Dr. Carson came in. I shielded my eyes from the unexpected light as Dwight leaned against the doorway and Carson came to knee next to me. He glanced at the sandwich and began to undo the bandage on my stump.

"You need to eat in order for the antibiotics to work." He told me and I just stared at the wall above his shoulder, causing him to let out a sigh. I cringed and had to stop myself from recoiling when he cleaned my arm and began to rebandage it. Carson caught my eye, "Try to eat something." He told me gently before standing up.

"She needs better food to heal properly." He told Dwight as he crossed to the door.

"Her food is just fine." Dwight said coldly, slamming the door behind them.

While I was locked in the cell, I thought back to when I had first met the Saviors. Everything had been fine, Jon and I were happy. We were at peace. Or, at least as much as you could be during the apocalypse. I had been out with a small group, scavenging when a two large trucks pulled up. "Everyone stay calm, let me do the talking." I said calmly. I kept my gun holstered and motioned for the others to do the same as I walked out of the store we were clearing out and approached the trucks.

"Hello!" I called as men filed out of the trucks, they were all heavily armed, which made me uneasy. "The store's all cleared out." I said as a tall man with an incredible mustache stepped forward to greet me.

"Is it now? You couldn't save any for us?" He said with a wide smile. "Allow me to introduce myself, I'm Simon. You have a group?" He asked.

I gave a short nod, not offering up my name. "Yup." I simply said. I didn't want to give too much information away. We were fairly well off, and these men appeared to be too, but they had more guns than we did, and that always led to trouble.

"We've got a group too. We're the Saviors. Now, I don't think you realize this, but Negan owns all this shit. All that shit you just cleared out from the store, that's Negan's." Simon informed me, causing me to clench my jaw.

"What's abandoned is up for grabs until it's taken somewhere. I don't see a flag or sign or anything saying this all belongs to someone. If it is his, he should've taken it back to wherever you came from before we found it." I told him in a firm tone, holding my ground.

Simon laughed, and my stomach twisted uneasily. They were going to be trouble. "My, my, you're a feisty one, aren't you!" He said. "Now I don't think you understand." He stepped forward until he was standing just inches away from me. "I'm Negan. We are all Negan. Everything belongs to Negan. So either you give us half your shit, and tell us where the rest of your people are, or we're gonna have to kill you. Do you understand?" I glared up at him, nostrils flaring in anger. Who the fuck did he think he is? And who the fuck is Negan? But I had to be careful. They were more powerful than us. I didn't doubt for one second that they would kill me and the rest of my people.

I glanced back at the men standing behind Simon, sizing them and their vehicles up. We didn't have a choice in this situation. Not if we wanted to survive. "Alright." I finally said, looking back up at Simon. "You can have what we got in the store. We'll even load it up for you."

"How generous!" Simon exclaimed with a wide smile. "And where's the rest of you, we're taking half your shit. You're Negan's now."

I remember watching the Saviors pillage our small community. I didn't resist, and I ordered everyone else not to as well. I remember standing in the middle of the street, watching them take our beds, our food, our guns, our medicine. Jon's hand gripped mine gently. I watched the trucks drive away, Simon's words of them being back in a week for a delivery ringing in my ears. As soon as the trucks were gone, I took my hand from Jon's grip and marched into our home, now looking bare and sullen.

My vision blurred and I gripped the back of a chair remaining at the kitchen counter. I squeezed my eyes shut and heard the door close, knowing Jon had followed me. Anger and grief pulsated through me and with a roar I picked up the chair and flung it against the wall before crumpling into a heap on the floor. I sobbed, barely aware of Jon drawing me into his lap and gently rocking me.

Later that evening, I stood before our community gathered around my porch. Jon stood behind me and I looked out over the terrified faces of my people.

"From now on, we answer to Negan." I announced grimly. "We will give half of what we have and what we gather to Negan. He has a large group, and they are well armed. This is going to take some adjusting, and we're going to have to work harder than before, but we can't resist them. It always has and always will be my top priority to protect you. I couldn't risk saying no to him." I pause as my voice wavered and cleared my throat. "This is for our best interest. If anyone has any concerns, please come to me directly. Anna, Jared, I want to speak to you. The rest of you, I'll notify each of you with new assignments and groups going on runs tonight."

With that I turned and went back into my house, Jon, Anna, and Jared following me inside. As soon as the door was shut I turned to face them. "Jared, Anna, I need you to do something special for me, and this doesn't leave the four of us. About a mile south is a car hidden in the bushes. In it are its keys, some cans of food, a gun, a knife, and some first aid supplies. As usual, as we go on runs, one of the four of us will be in charge. As you bring supplies back, I need you to add to the stash. You need to be discrete. No one else can know about this. If we need to make a get away, I want that car to be ready for as many of us as possible. Understand?" Anna and Jared nodded and I let out a sigh relief.

Little did I know that what I thought was an act of self-preservation was going to come back to bite me in the ass and claim the lives of my people.

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 **Hello, hello!**

 **Thank you all so so much to everyone reading and the lovely reviews you are leaving! They truly mean a lot to me.**

 **Unfortunately, this will probably be the last update for a couple weeks as next week is finals and they're going to be brutal.**

 **So, I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and have a wonderful next couple weeks!**


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